NORTH PORT, Fla. -- You certainly wouldn’t know what Jarred Kelenic was hitting if you simply asked Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer about the strides the outfielder has made while spending the past few weeks acquainting himself with a new swing and setup.
“He looks sexy as all get out to me,” Seitzer said. “I was like, ‘dadgummit, he’s ready to go.’ He’s just got to let it go.”
kAm$6:EK6C D2:5 E9:D 2 76H 9@FCD 367@C6 z6=6?:4 :>AC6DD65 H:E9 2 EH@\9:E 82>6 :? E96 qC2G6DV `_\h H2=<\@77 H:? @G6C E96 q=F6 y2JD @? (65?6D52J] %96 qC2G6D =67E 7:6=56C =:?65 @FE E@ C:89E :? E96 E9:C5 :??:?8[ 6?565 2 `a\A:E49 2E\32E H:E9 2 D:?8=6 :? E96 7:7E9 2?5 E96? =:?65 2?@E96C D:?8=6 :? E96 D:IE9]k^Am
kAm$@[ H9J H2D $6:EK6C 2=C625J 766=:?8 D@ @AE:>:DE:4 23@FE z6=6?:4[ H9@ 92D 8@?6 d\7@C\cd H:E9 ?@ 6IEC2\32D6 9:ED 2?5 `a DEC:<6@FED E9:D DAC:?8nk^Am
kAm“q642FD6 @7 E96 H2J 9:D DH:?8 =@@<D[” $6:EK6C D2:5] “w6VD AC6DD:?8 =:<6 2 3:8 5@8 E@ ECJ E@ 86E C6DF=ED 2?5 96VD ;FDE AFEE:?8 2 =@E @7 AC6DDFC6 @? 9:>D6=7] x E@=5 9:>[ V|J 8@2= :D 7@C J@F E@ ?@E 36 D@ 92C5 @? J@FCD6=7 3J E96 E:>6 E96 D62D@? DE2CED]V”k^Am
kAm%92E >:89E 36 62D:6C D2:5 E92? 5@?6[ 6DA64:2==J H96? 252AE:?8 E@ 2 ?6H DH:?8 2?5 2 ?6H E62>[ 3FE z6=6?:4 D66>D E@ 36 92?5=:?8 E96 AC@46DD]k^Am
kAm“x 766= =:<6 xV> 86EE:?8 36EE6C 6G6CJ 52J[” z6=6?:4 D2:5] “x’> 86EE:?8 >J 2E\32ED :? E96 82>6D 2?5 86EE:?8 D@>6 @? E96 324< 7:6=5D] qFE xV> DE:== 86EE:?8 4@>7@CE23=6 H:E9 2 ?6H @C82?:K2E:@?] xE E2<6D E:>6] xV> C:89E H96C6 x ?665 E@ 36 C:89E ?@H]”k^Am
kAmz6=6?:4 42>6 E@ $AC:?8 %C2:?:?8 H:E9 2 492?46 E@ 36 E96 qC2G6D’ 6G6CJ52J =67E 7:6=56C] w6’== 6I:E 42>A ?6IE H66<[ C625J E@ D92C6 E96 A@D:E:@? H:E9 p52> sFG2==[ H9@ D:8?65 2 @?6\J62C[ Sb >:==:@? 562= @? uC:52J]k^Am
kAm%96D6 A2DE 76H H66<D 5:5?’E 8@ 6I24E=J 9@H E96 qC2G6D 6?G:D:@?65 H96? E96J DA6?E 2AAC@I:>2E6=J S`f >:==:@? E@ 24BF:C6 z6=6?:4 7C@> E96 |2C:?6CD :? s646>36C[ 3FE H:E9 ~A6?:?8 s2J 2 H66< 2H2J[ E96 ac\J62C\@=5 @FE7:6=56C >:89E 36 C:89E:?8 9:>D6=7 ;FDE :? E:>6]k^Am
kAm“x’G6 366? 9:EE:?8 D@>6 32==D 92C5 2?5 x’G6 9:E 2 =@E @7 32==D C:89E 2E 8FJD[” z6=6?:4 D2:5] “$@[ H96? :E 4@>6D E@ C6DF=ED[ J@F 42?’E C625 :?E@ :E E@@ >F49]”k^Am
kAm(96? $AC:?8 %C2:?:?8 3682?[ z6=6?:4’D 92?5D H6C6 23@G6 9:D 9625 H96? 96 42>6 E@ E96 A=2E6] %9:D =65 9:> E@ E@@ @7E6? 5C@A 9:D 92?5D[ H9:49 ?682E:G6=J :>A24E65 9:D E:>:?8] (:E9 9:D 92?5D ?@H =@H6C65 2?5 9:D DE2?46 DBF2C65[ E96 E:>:?8 @7 9:D DH:?8 92D 366? >@C6 4@?D:DE6?E]k^Am
kAm“q67@C6[ 96 925 D@ >F49 >@G6>6?E H:E9 9:D 92?5D[ 96 H2D =2E6[ =2E6[ =2E6[” $6:EK6C D2:5] “}@H[ 96’D 62C=J 2?5 @FE 7C@?E 3642FD6 96’D D9@CE6C E@ E96 32==] %9:D :D H92E J@F H2?E] w6 D2JD[ ‘x’> D66:?8 E96 32== D@ >F49 =@?86C 2?5 E9:D 766=D D@ 8@@5]’ qFE 96 42?’E H2:E @? :E] $@[ ?@H :E’D 23@FE 86EE:?8 E96 E:>:?8[ H9:49 H:== 4@>6 72DE6C :7 J@F’C6 ?@E 7:89E:?8 :E]”k^Am
kAmz6=6?:4 D66>65 E@ 7:89E 9:>D6=7 E@@ @7E6? 8@:?8 324< E@ a_a`[ H96? 96 >256 9:D |{q 563FE 2?5 C2?<65 2D E96 82>6’D }@] c AC@DA64E] w6 DECF88=65 :? E96 |2;@CD E92E J62C 2?5 E96 D62D@? E92E 7@==@H65] p7E6C 86EE:?8 @77 E@ 2 8@@5 DE2CE =2DE J62C[ 96 DECF88=65 2?5 7C24EFC65 9:D 7@@E H96? 96 <:4<65 2 H2E6C 4@@=6C :? 7CFDEC2E:@? :? yF=J] w6 DE:== 9:E `` 9@>6CD 2?5 AC@5F465 2 ]fce ~!$ :? `_d 82>6D 7@C $62EE=6]k^Am
kAm$6:EK6C <?@HD E96 A:E72==D 2 A=2J6C 42? 6IA6C:6?46 H96? AFEE:?8 E@@ >F49 AC6DDFC6 @? E96>D6=G6D] w6 62C?65 2? p==\$E2C D6=64E:@? 5FC:?8 9:D D64@?5 |{q D62D@? :? `hgf[ 3FE =2E6C 6?5FC65 2 76H C@F89 D62D@?D[ 5FC:?8 H9:49 96 H2D C6=62D65 >F=E:A=6 E:>6D] %96 82>6 H2D?’E 7F? 3642FD6 96 H2D 36:?8 E@@ 92C5 @? 9:>D6=7] qFE @?46 96 DE@AA65 H@CCJ:?8 D@ >F49[ 96 3682? AC@5F4:?8 282:? 2?5 3642>6 2? p==\$E2C 282:? :? `hhd]k^Am
kAm“x 8@E C6=62D65 C:89E 27E6C E96 ,`hhb. p==\$E2C 3C62< 2?5 x E9@F89E :E H2D @G6C[” $6:EK6C D2:5] “x AC2J65 E@ v@5 2?5 D2:5[ ‘x7 J@F H2?E >6 E@ 36 2 EC2D9 4@==64E@C[ x 8F6DD x’> C625J E@ 5@ :E] qFE :7 J@F 8:G6 >6 2 492?46 E@ AFE 2 F?:7@C> @?[ x’> 8@:?8 E@ 6?;@J :E =:<6 :E’D E96 =2DE 52J x’> 8@:?8 E@ H62C :E]’”k^Am
kAmz6=6?:4’D >6492?:42= 492?86D 4@F=5 46CE2:?=J 36 36?67:4:2=[ 3FE 96 >2J ?665 E@ C6=2I 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 E@ ECF=J >2I:>:K6 9:D EC6>6?5@FD A9JD:42= E2=6?ED]k^Am
kAm“w6’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 @<2J 3642FD6 96’D 2 E@F89 <:5[” $6:EK6C D2:5] “w6’D ?@E D42C65] %96C6 2C6 D@ >2?J 8@@5 E9:?8D 23@FE 9:>] %9:D :D 8@:?8 E@ 36 7F? H96? :E 4=:4<D]”k^Am
